Infonews n°270 du 18/03/2006

Tomorrow is Spring Day, don't miss the activities prepared for you by the European Schoolnet team and the Spring teachers from all over Europe. In the news, read about the demonstrations in France and a disastrous human experimentation in Britain. Then find out about leather and the leather industry, PETA and RSPCA campaigns to protect animals, and informations about pet care and endangered species, and read about farming methods and a new cooking trend. In the resources for primary school, discover several sites of interactive games and activities for the youngest, and the resources for secondary school features an easy site of facts, sites with videos (mainly news), information about Northern Ireland, and sites for those studying economics, drawing and architecture. At the end, you will find 150 teaching suggestions, which may help you renew your teaching methods....Renewal, this is what Spring is about! ;)
Have a nice week!

Christine Reymond

Sommaire

A la Une : Spring Day in Europe

Tomorrow is Spring Day!

In the News

Rows in France around the new job law
Human experimentations

Leather, fur and pets

Leather Museum
Leather manufacturing process
A counter point from PETA
Animal protection Videos
Pets

Food and agriculture

The Slowest Food: Why American Chefs Have Taken Up Sous-Vide Cooking (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
Buy Direct: Washington-Oregon: Harvest Schedule (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Resources for Primary School

Wordplay
Useful pages of links
Play a color game (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Monday, March 13th)

Resources for Secondary School

wwiTV: World Wide Internet TV (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
Fact Monster: Famous Firsts by American Women (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
Manga University: Drawing Tutorials (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
The Big Mac Index (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
New Urban Guild (from [LII New This Week] March 16)
Regions and Territories: Northern Ireland (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Teaching Practice

150 Teaching Methods ( from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, March 16th)


A la Une : Spring Day

Tomorrow is Spring Day!

Go to the website and choose on activity for tomorrow, so that your students will feel part of that great project. On Spring Day, march 21st, over 5000 schools throughout Europe are going to celebrate spring and teach about Europe. Discover the site, register, and act!
http://futurum2005.eun.org/ww/en/pub/futurum2005/index_15mins.htm

In the News

Rows in France around the new job law

see the pictures on the BBC website : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/4821490.stm
and read several articles, including these questions and answers where you find all the basic vocabulary
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4816306.stm
and this link to the site of the French prime minister in English : http://www.premier-ministre.gouv.fr/en/ ;)
Read about it in the newspapers from other countries:
Ireland : http://breakingnews.iol.ie/news/story.asp?j=176473172&p=y76473878
India : http://www.ndtv.com/morenews/showmorestory.asp?slug=France+protest+turns+violent&id=85921
Canada : http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060318/france_protest_ap_060318/20060318?hub=CTVNewsAt11
Israel : http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1139395631179&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Qatar : http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/03AF6DA4-7E8B-4F68-A6D4-5E5A8B9E30D3.htm
the USA : http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/03/18/france.job.protest.ap/index.html

Human experimentations

Read about a drug test that went wrong in a London hospital. This could be an interesting topic to discuss in class, since the guinea pigs are young people attracted by this "easy" way to get money. We can consider it as part of our role to make our students aware of the risks and of the threats that can be hidden among the 15 pages of a contract they will have to sign in a hurry.
the long article from The Times has to be used only in parts, but I find the beginning very efficient:
"The sales pitch could have been written by a time-share spiv. “You’ll be paid for your time,” it reads. “Free food . . . digital TV, pool table, video games, DVD player and now FREE internet access!” An invitation to one long holiday? No, this is how Parexel, the company at the heart of a medical disaster, recruits human guinea pigs to test new drugs and brave the frontiers of modern science."
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2092527_2,00.html
Read also this article from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/london/4819318.stm
with a diagram (that can be used to explain and comment the process of drug testing)
http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41453000/gif/_41453872_drug_flow_203.gif
and the reactions from the public
http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?threadID=1315&&&edition=1&ttl=20060319110131
Advanced students can also listen to the interview of Lord Winston, a scientist who implies that the restrictions and bans on animal experimentations might have lead to this accident. There is also a video at the top of the page : the images are not much help, but the audio content is interesting.
you can also read the info on the event on the websites of the labs who produced the medicine
http://www.parexel.com/news_and_events/press_releasesSingle.asp?id=235
http://www.tegenero.com/news/statement_re_tgn1412/index.php

Leather, fur and pets

Leather Museum

[LII New This Week] from March 16 recommends "Leather Museum ", the website for this British museum which contains several resources on the history of leather-making and leather goods, including an essay on the history of leather, a gallery of images from the museum (bookbinding, horse saddles, bags and purses, dog equipment, and other leather items) and a bibliography. Includes related links.
http://www.walsall.gov.uk/leathermuseum/
http://www.museumofleathercraft.org/
It is an excellent site for those studying clothing design and leathercraft. You find in the museum useful pictures with sort comments including the basic vocabulary concerning the material and the craft like "Heavy vegetable-tanned hide, moulded, tooled, dyed and stitched".

Leather manufacturing process

If you are looking for more technical information, go to this excellent Australian site where you can find a page with photos explaining the process of leather manufacturing :
http://www.tft.csiro.au/leather/general.html
http://www.tft.csiro.au/leather/manufacture.html

A counter point from PETA

The site Cowsarecool.com discusses animal rights concerns related to leather, and offers resources for locating alternatives to clothing, shoes, and other items made from leather. Includes a FAQ, news, shopping tips, and other material about cows and the leather industry. From the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
http://www.cowsarecool.com/
You also find an interesting article about leather manufacturing and environmental and human rights concerns.
http://www.cowsarecool.com/environment.asp
find also several fact sheets about animals being used in the cloth manufacturing business. It deals with silk, fur, and wool. Discover facts about alligators and kangaroos...
http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_clothing.asp
http://www.peta.org/mc/factsheet_display.asp?ID=58

Animal protection Videos

PETA (US)
find the ads against fur trade and other ads from PETA (the US RSPCA). Some are easy, for beginners, but many show pictures of cruelty that can shock students, remember to watch them beforehand to decide if they are appropriate.
various ads for animal protect, by categories :http://www.petatv.com/psa.asp
ads against fur and animal skin : http://www.petatv.com/skins.html
"hot dog" an ad against leaving you dog in the car when it's hot (easy and simple): http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=hot_dog&Player=wm&speed=_med
upper intermediates and advanced can watch this program about the "I'd rather go naked" campaign and its consequences on the fur trade
http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/video.asp?video=naked_campaign&Player=wm&speed=_med
RSPCA (UK)
you can also find useful resources on the British RSPCA website, including details about their campaigns:
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=CampaignsHomepage
discover for example the "back off the badgers" campaign
http://www.rspca.org.uk/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RSPCA/RSPCARedirect&pg=badgers

Pets

A good site to find information about pet care (skip the lengthy end about the diseases). the other information are interesting. (.pdf files)
http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/
See the example of the ferret:
http://www.bestfriends.org/theanimals/petcare/ferrets.cfm
Watch this excellent video ( the pictures show what the commentary says) about dog grooming, with all the basic vocabulary, plus the original touch of pink nail polish, bandana and perfume. Here is Babs makeover ( to learn dog grooming vocabulary or discuss how far is too far...)
http://www.bestfriends.org/allthegoodnews/video/vidFiles/BabsMakeover_H.wmv
and you can invite your students to prepare written or oral reports from these pages about pet care and endangered species:
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/themes/exoticpets.htm
http://perso.numericable.fr/~dreymondch46/infonews/themes/endageredspecies.htm

Food and agriculture

The Slowest Food: Why American Chefs Have Taken Up Sous-Vide Cooking (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

This 2005 article provides an overview of "sous vide ... the practice of cooking food at low temperatures in vacuum-packed plastic bags. ('Sous vide' is essentially French for 'vacuum-packed.')" Includes a discussion of the history of cooking in sealed packets, French chef Georges Pralus' technique of cooking foie gras in plastic from 1974, and current developments and concerns (such as food safety). Also includes links to related material. From the online magazine Slate.
http://www.slate.com/id/2123101/
http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?s=f679637c3907822b4cc77ef04aba5b45&showtopic=39023&st=0
[ for all those interested in new cooking trends. This sous-vide cooking seems to be coming from France, although I had never heard of it. My hostess in England used it last week, and I must say the result was very tasty. It seems that the trend of "crackly crust" is out of fashion at the moment in the US. Discover the technique in the article and the forum.]

Buy Direct: Washington-Oregon: Harvest Schedule (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Charts illustrating what foods are in season and which farms in Washington state and Oregon grow them. Provides harvest schedules for animal products, herbs, vegetables, and fruits, nuts, and berries. From the Washington State University Extension.
http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/farms/harvest_schedule.htm
[ For those studying farming, you will find interesting information on this site, including an interesting page on drip irrigation with links to tutorials on how to install and design it.
http://smallfarms.wsu.edu/crops/dripIrrigation.html
irrigation tutorials : http://www.jessstryker.com/
irrigation management : http://www.cropinfo.net/drip.htm ]

Resources for Primary School

Wordplay

Interactive game : Encourage your students to discover new words through this interactive game. The students click on a word, they hear it promounced, then an animation illustrates its meaning : pop, and it pops, melt, and it melts, etc.
http://pbskids.org/lions/dad/wordplay.html
Games to print : matching games (opposites like wet/dry, synonyms, etc.), cut the words and use them to make a story, and many others.
http://pbskids.org/lions/printables/

Useful pages of links

Find in these pages many sites to explore. They are packed with ideas of activities and interactive games for young students like the sand castle where they have to guess the correct spelling for a word they hear (no meaning, just sounds)
http://teacherweb.com/NC/WilliamsTownshipElementary/CheriBarkley/wqr2.stm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/phonics/sandcastle/flash/game.shtml

Play a color game (from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Monday, March 13th)

Do your students know all their colors? In this interactive and online game, they will click on the color box each time they are requested to find the color. A voice asks them to click on the red square...
http://www.juliasrainbowcorner.com/html/colorquiz.html

Resources for Secondary School

wwiTV: World Wide Internet TV (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

This independent guide to Web TV provides links to live and on demand television broadcasts from over 100 countries. Includes music, sports, and news outlets. Available in several languages.
http://wwitv.com
[ in the UK section, find several sites of news, including Sky News in good quality viewing. The choice is large, and the site definitely worth a look.]

Fact Monster: Famous Firsts by American Women (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Timeline of major milestones achieved by women throughout American history, such as Elizabeth Blackwell (1849), the first woman in the U.S. with a medical degree; Belva Ann Lockwood (1879), the first woman admitted to practice before the U.S. Supreme Court; and Effa Manley (2006), the first woman elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Includes links to additional information for selected women. From Information Please.
http://www.factmonster.com/spot/womensfirsts1.html
[ Factmonster is a site that you can easily use with lower intermediate or even beginners. the facts are short and simple, about all types of topics, ranging from sports to literature. And the site also provides links for more advanced students to read more about the topics. Useful if the students in your class are of different levels : some will remain on the first page, while others will go deeper into the subject. Just remember to ask those who have the less information to speak first when they report to the class.]

Manga University: Drawing Tutorials (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Illustrated instructions by artist Julie Dillon for drawing the Japanese-style comics known as manga. Includes instructions for anime style hair, clothing and folds, general anime faces, female figures, and specific characters (such as those from the animated cartoon "Dragonball Z," which originated as a Japanese comic). Also includes material about coloring using various computer programs. From a company that sells manga drawing books.
http://www.cablenet.ne.jp/%7ejapanime/tutorial/tutorial.html
[ excellent to suggest to art students, or to discuss with them.]

The Big Mac Index (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

"[The] Big Mac index is based on the theory of purchasing-power parity, under which exchange rates should adjust to equalise the cost of a basket of goods and services. ... Our basket is the Big Mac" (a hamburger produced by the fast-food chain, McDonald's). Includes comparisons of recent international Big Mac prices, a "Coca-Cola map of the world," and articles about McDonald's and fast food. From The Economist.
http://www.economist.com/markets/Bigmac/
chart : http://www.economist.com/images/20060114/CIN135.gif
[ an interesting and easy site for students in economics at all levels. For intermediates, you can use the video, simple and short, or, for the weakest students, just offer them the chart to comment. The basic idea from The Economist is that the Big Mac is one of the rare items sold in the same presentation and content all over the world. Economists can them use its price to decide which currency is strong or weak.]

New Urban Guild (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

This organization is an agent for traditional architectural designers and a nonprofit corporation that provides education "to assist in the design and construction of traditional urbanism and architecture." The site features details about "Katrina Cottages," which are designed to be small, temporary homes to replace those lost during Hurricane Katrina. The "Hurricane Katrina Renewal Tools" section includes a rebuilding checklist and plans for several Katrina cottages.
http://www.newurbanguild.com
rebuilding check list : http://www.newurbanguild.com/home/RebuildingChecklist.pdf
plans and drawings : http://www.newurbanguild.com/foundation/GrowHouse.pdf
[ a fascinating site for future architects or home designers. You find there what is being done and planned to offer decent but quickly built home to people after Katrina. Contains most of the basic vocabulary of the trade.]

Regions and Territories: Northern Ireland (from [LII New This Week] March 16)

Profile of "[this] part of the United Kingdom." Includes demographic facts, historical overview, and brief listings of leaders and media outlets. Also includes links to related news stories, with a focus on stories about the IRA (Irish Republican Army). From the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/country_profiles/4172307.stm
[ lots of info and useful links about Northern Ireland, mainly focused on IRA.]

Teaching Practice

150 Teaching Methods ( from Riverdeep's Classroom Flyer, Thursday, March 16th)

If you are getting a feeling of using the same old material or teaching methods, then chances are your students are also bored with the format. Try changing your approach with the ideas listed here.
http://www.fctel.uncc.edu/pedagogy/enhancinglearning/150TeachingMethods.html
[ this is just a list of short ideas. Most of them are for younger children, in kindergarten or primary school, but some can also be introduced in lessons to older students, just to liven up the lessons....]


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